Knighthood Skips a Generation
by Awsomly Odd
Summary: Juani daughter of Aly and Nawat Crow, the grandaughter of George Cooper an Alanna the Lioness isn't happy with her life in the Copper Isles. She wants to be like her grandmothe the famed Lioness of Tortall but will she get a chance to live her dream?
1. I want to be a knight

Disclamer: I do not own any of the characters you recognize from the book nor do I own the lands of Tortall, The Copper Isles, Scanra or any other countries.  
Unfortunatly I'm NOT Tamora Pierce. I'm just a geek with nothing but a computer and a plot.

( I have only read Trickster's Choice and exerps fron Trickster's Queen. so if anything dosn't go along with the second book don't worry.)  
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Juani, the daghter of Aly and Nawat Crow sat on a windowseat in her family's rooms at the palace. She had a book in her hand and was fiddling with the pages. She was nine years old and would be ten in two months. Despite her age she already knew what she wanted from life. She had decieded a long time ago but only now was she going to tell her parents.

Her father, Nwat Crow, sat in their recieving room playing chess with Juani's twin Ulasin. Ulasin was the more intelectual twin, Not that Juani wasn't smart on the contrary she was quite clever. But she would rather fence than discuss politics with their godsmother Queen Dove. Ulasin had a very serious look in his brown eyes as as he watched the gameboard. That was one of the few diferences between Juani and Ulasin, their eyes. Where Ulasin had dark Mahogony brown eyes like their father, Juani had icy blue-gray eyes that their mother said was common for her grandfather George's family.  
They both had the flaming red hair that belonged to both their mother and grandmother.

Her mother the spymaster, was in her office, probably trying to devise some form of code for the Copper Isles spy network to use. Aly Crow had always tried to get her daughter interested in spywork but Juani never had any interest. Her brother on the other hand, found it facsinating. When she was little Juani would always beg Aly to let her go watch the palace gaurds do their drills instead of coming to lessons. " Please Momma?" little Juani would whine ''Could I go downstairs just for today? Please, please,please?'' As she grew older she woud no longer beg but usualy find someway to avoid spy lessons.

Juani hopped off the windowseat and dropped her book uncerimoniously on the table beside her, not bothering to save her place since she hadn't been reading it anyway. She was restless today,  
pacing around the room, watching her brother and father play chess, anything to keep from looking at her mother's door. She was was going to tell her parents about her plan tonight. She knew she wouldn't have a problem talking her dad around to her plan but her mother, however, posed a chalange. Aly wanted Juani to be a spy, like her, but a life of lying and hiding in the shadows is the last thing she wanted. She would find someway to talk her mother around. And if she didn't she would find another way to cary out her plan.  
Ulasin looked up at her. He knew what she was thinking, she had told him about her plans when they were little and she had only first thought of it. He also knew that she was going to tell tonight. '' Are you alright, Ju-Ju?'' he asked her now, using his cradle-name for her. '' Yea, I'm fine, just nervous.'' she said with a smile that she hoped didn't look like a grimace. Nawat looked from one child to the other, cocking his head in a very bird-like way. Both twins knew of their fathers feathery heiritage, of course. '' Whats going on you two?'' Nawat asked. The twins looked at him then at eachother and back at him again. silently deciding that Juani would be the one to speak, as usual.  
'' Oh, nothing Da'.'' Juani said '' I'm going to go fetch mother, I need to talk to the both of you.'' Her father nodded as he and Ulasin started to put away the chess set.

Juani knocked on the doorframe of her mother's office holding the door open with one hand. Aly waved her in. '' Are you busy mother?'' Juani asked Aly looked up from her stack of apparently endless paperwork. ''Nothing that can't wait untill later. What's on your mind?'' her mother asked. Juani felt the knots in her stomace tighten. '' Oh, not much, but I need to talk to you and Da'. Will you come out here for a second?'' Aly rose from the chair following her daughter to the recieving room, where nawat was putting the chess set in a large wardrobe.

Aly and Nawat sat on a small sofa. Ulasin sat in an armchair that was turned at an angle so that he could see both his twin as well as thier parents. he already knew what Juani was goingf to say but he wanted to be here in case his sister needed support.  
Juani ran her hands down the front of her sarong, then at her prents and took a deep breath. '' Mother, Da', I have somthing very important to ask you, so don't tell me your answere right now.'' Juani paused and took another deep breath. '' I want to become a knight.'' 'There' Juani thought 'I've saide it,'  
Juani risked a look at her mother who was apparently confused. ''Juani'' Aly began slowly '' You know the Copper Isles dosn't train knights and the Palace gaurd dosn't take on recruits untill their fifteen. Besides, you and Ulasin will be going to Pirate's Swoop to visit your grandparents soon and...'' Aly stopped cold as realization dawned on her. '' You want to go to Tortall to...'' Aly choked '' To start page training, yes'' Juani finished her mothers scenence. Aly closed her eyes ad her mouth, not trusting herself to speak. Nawat put a hand on Aly's shoulder then looked at Juani. '' How long have you been thinking about this?'' Nawat asked her.  
'' Scince we went to see uncle Alan take his Ordeal of Knighthod.'' Juani replied calmly.'' But I said not to answere me untill tomarow.'' and with that she left the room.


	2. When told 'No'

Disclaimer: If I was Tamora Pierce ( Which I'm NOT) do you really think I would have better things to do than make fanfiction? I own nothing.

Authors Note: I haven't got any reviews yet but I'm going to keep writing anyway, so please review for if nothing else I'd like to know somboby is reading this!  
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(the next day)

Aly and Queen Dove sat together on the balcony that off the Queen's sitting room. Dove was working on some needle-point while waiting for a breake in Aly's tyraid.  
''I can't believe she really want's to do this! She's just a little girl! And why in kyperioths name would she want to leave the Isles! And why a Knight! Dosn't she realize how dangerous that life is!  
You know this is all my mother's fault! She is always telling them storys of of fighting Immortals and bringing back the Dominion Jewel, filling their heads with ideas that a knights life is all glory! Well it's not! Its just running around in a tin suit and swinging an over-size kitchen knife!'' Aly was seething. After about ten more minuets of this with some pretty strong cursing, Aly finally stopped to catch her breath.

There were only two people who could amaze Queen Dovasary, her sister Sarai, with her impulsevness and her usualy level-headed friend Aly, who could yell for hours at a time when angerd.  
Dove placed a hand on Aly's shoulder before she could resume her ranting .  
'' Aly, I think you should let her do this.'' Dove said. Aly stared at her friend in shock. ''You...y..You what?'' Aly splutered. '' Don't get me wrong Aly, I don't want Juani in danger any more than you, she is my godschild afterall. But considering what people in your family do when told 'no' gives me the impression that you should probably let her go peacefully or she'll find some other way to do it.'' Dove said calmly. Aly placed her head in her hands.  
'' Nawat said the same thing last night.'' Aly said. She saw the reason in this and knew it was true, Juani would do whatever was needed of her to get what she wanted, Aly's blessing or not. But still, Juani was her baby, how could she let Juani have such a hard life! Tortall was still at war with Scanra and would probably still be when Juani was finished training, she would almost definatly see battle as a squire and possibly as a page! Not to mention the Gryphons, Spidrens, hurrocks and all the other Immortals she would have to fight. But Juani would do it whether Aly said yes or no, she was a clever girl and stubborn as a mule. Juani would do well as a knight, she knew that, she was a quik learner and could already shoot a bow, weild a staff and was a decent hand with dagger.  
Aly would send her daughter to Tortall with her blessing, and every day she would burn incense for her daughters saftey.

Aly looked up at her friend. '' I guess I should let my mother know Juani will be staying longer than planed.'' with that Aly was gone. A small smile played across the Queen's face, Juani would be a knight.

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Author's Note: Sorry this chapter was so short, I promise the next one will be longer. R&R.


	3. authors note

Author's note: Sorry I didn't post at the end of the week like I promised , but I finally got Trickster's Queen and have just finished reading it so I should have chapter 3 up soon. So sorry about that, PLEASE DONT HATE ME! R&R.  
~ Awsomly Odd 


	4. Chapter 4

A/N : I was going to make this longer but I decided to end it with an epilouge becaus I kinda ran out of ideas for the .

Disclaimer: I do not own the land of Tortall, the Copper Isles, or any characters you might recognise from the books.  
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nine years later...  
Juani paced in her room in the squires wing of the palace. It was Midwinter and she was to be the first of her year to take her Ordeal. She had just returned to her rooms, her friends had dragged her about the city in an attempt to keep her mind off the Ordeal. In all honesty the harder her friends tried to distract her the more stressed she had become. Now that she was alone in her room she started to reflect on the last nine years.  
With the help of her godsmother Dove, she had convinced her parents to let her come to Tortall. Her mother was still not too happy about it when she left, although her grandmother was beyond joy. Juani had done well in page training, where she had become friends with Yvenne and Fianola, the only other female pages in her year. She was also friends with Lynia of New Hope and Masbolle another famale page and with Derom of Queenscove who had a crush on Yvenne and Cynthea of Jesslaw Cavall (a/n: Yes, Cynthea is Lord Wyldon's grandaughter). All three were a year younger than Juani. Juani had served as squire to Sir Owen of Jesslaw, Cynthea thought it was hilarious that Juani was her da's squire. Juani had liked her knight-master even if he referd to everything as 'jolly' . Juani was happy with her life, even though she had only seen her parents once since she left the Isles, but her brother still came to stay at The Swoop with their grandparents in the summer. Juani's mood mood went from nervous exitement to sadness with the thought of her parents, they would not be here to see her get her shield but she would bet her right arm that her mother would would have one of her spys in the audience who would report in detail everything that happend. A loud knock on her door shook Juani from her trail of thought. She glanced out the window and saw the sun was going down. ''Well time to get this over with.'' Juani thought as she opend the door and her knight-master led her to the chapel.

the next morning...

Juani's red hair fell across her face as she knelt in front of the ageing king Jonathan. '' I dub you Lady Knight Juani Crow of Pirates Swoop.'' the king said loudly as he touched each of her shoulders and her head with his sword. Juani stood as her grandmother came forward with her shield and lifted the cover. It was beautiful , a black crow on a midnight blue field and a distaf border of silver and black. The Lioness fitted it to Juani's arm and told her to hold it up to the crowd. Juani did so and the crowd burst out in deafining applause but Juani could hardly hear them over the one thought in her head,' 'I did it.''

the end -  
Thank you everyone who read this.

Review replies starburst99: thanks for the constructive criticism, and yeah I know i din't stick to cannon. :)

KrisEleven: I know the storyline is over done but it was somthing Ive had stuck in my head since I read the book.

KiKiKaKes: Heres that update you asked for and thank you so much for reading, it made me really happy to find out someone liked my fic enough to count the days between updates. You rock!


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